Actress Oh Se Young drew attention for her awkward and hesitant behavior during an official event, a stark contrast to what many would expect from an actress already nine years into her career. Her behavior, reminiscent of that of a newly debuted rookie, left a sense of disappointment among observers who had seen her as a promising emerging talent.
Oh Se Young made her acting debut in 2018 through JTBC drama The beauty inside. Since then, she has steadily built her filmography and, just for the duration of her career, she can no longer be considered a newcomer. However, his appearance at the production press conference of MBC’s new Friday-Saturday drama The judge returns eyebrows raised.
The press conference, held on January 2, brought together not only the main protagonists but a wide range of cast members. While such events typically feature only the actors listed on the main poster, this showcase included director Lee Jae Jin and actors Ji Sung, Park Hee Soon, Won Jin Ah, Tae Won Seok, Baek Jin Hee, Oh Se Young, and Hwang Hee. The lineup reflected MBC’s high expectations for the drama and its effort to spotlight supporting cast members as well.
Among them, Oh Se Young stood out for unexpected reasons. From the very first character introduction segment, his performance lacked fluidity. After receiving the microphone from Baek Jin Hee, he struggled to finish the opening sentence. He briefly described his role as “Lee Han Young’s Wife in His Past Life”, then he stopped, lowered his head and was silent. As an awkward pause filled the room, the other actors cast encouraging glances and host Park Kyung Lim gently eased the tension by saying it was natural to feel nervous.
Oh Se Young apologized softly, saying that he was “very nervous”, and tried to continue, but once again he was unable to organize his thoughts smoothly. Hesitation repeated it quite often it was difficult to dismiss it as a simple slip of the tongue.
About 20 minutes into the event, when she was asked what led her to participate in the project, the situation did not improve. While the other actors responded calmly and confidently, Oh Se Young faltered once again. He said briefly: “It wasn’t a choice I made, it was an offer I received” struggling to make eye contact and visibly shaking even as he gave that short answer.
Won Jin Ah turned from her seat to offer a supportive smile, and Park Kyung Lim stepped in to clarify that Oh Se Young played Ji Sung’s ex-wife. He added it reassuringly even though Oh Se Young appeared shy now, she would definitely show a strong presence through her acting.
The third question and answer session followed a similar pattern. When asked what she would do if she could go back ten years, Oh Se Young bowed her head again and apologized before answering. Instead of answering directly, he shared his feelings, saying she had prepared a lot for the event and wanted to speak in a witty and articulate manner. Finally she said yes study English and do more physical activity.
During her closing speech, Oh Se Young said that she would at least finish with something she had prepared. He likened the drama to a cooking competition, explaining that powerful performances from veteran actors, a solid script and staff members doing their best in their roles came together to create a “delightful” production.
While the message itself was thoughtful, the delivery remained difficult. He often paused, closed his eyes to steady his breathing, and left noticeable gaps between sentences. Baek Jin Hee patted her back in encouragement, and Won Jin Ah continued to smile supportively in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Considering Oh Se Young’s relatively limited experience in large public events, her nervousness is understandable. However, given his nine-year career, the moment still left room for regret. The press conference could have been an important opportunity to highlight his presence and character, but instead it failed to leave a strong positive impression.
Nervousness is natural, but repeated embarrassment can easily be interpreted as a lack of preparation. With the weight of nine years in the industry behind her, there is a growing expectation for Oh Se Young to display a more professional and confident presence not only on screen, but off as well.
Sources: Daum
